New Delhi: Ahead of Diwali, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre as to what steps it had taken to stop import of crackers from China which is said to be one of the major factors of air pollution.
A bench sought the response of the additional solicitor general even as it reserved verdict on a bunch of petitions filed by, Arjun Gopal, Aaray Bhandari and Zoya Rao Bhasin seeking ban on the Chinese crackers.
Acting on these petitions which complained of pollution, the bench early this month had asked firecracker manufacturers not to use heavy metals like lithium, antimony, mercury, arsenic and lead and chemical elements like antimony “in any form whatsoever” in their products.
On behalf of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers Association, Sivakasi it was submitted that bursting of firecrackers during Diwali is not the only cause of air pollution.
Air pollution is dependent on several factors like industries, aviation, railways, shipping, construction activities, geo-climatic conditions, burning of crop remnants, emission from vehicles, increasing number of vehicles and other like factors.
